Hello....

... is it me you're looking for? Well I hope so! Here's another of these long lost panels that I rediscovered while going through my box of unused coloured stuff, or BUCS (in tribute to Darnell's NBUS!).

This one has only taken a year to get onto a card, so not quite as bad as last week's.... I wanted it to pop against the background, but also be sympathetic to the colours of the greys. They are ALL the Copic grey tones - N, T, W and C - so you can see the difference in them all.

I used some coloured paper I've had stashed away for 5 years and cut the panels to layer it up.

I'm linking this up to my old challenge The Flower Challenge, which Aileen set up and I see going from strength to strength. The theme this month is Anything Goes, which is just perfect for me. 

The lovely Viv did a very nice post about some of my wipes, which I custom made in some gorgeous Tilda floral hummingbird fabric. Thank you for your kind words Viv!

Hope you're having a good week so far. The sun has been shining and it's been nice to get out and about without getting damp.

Thanks for popping by and Happy Crafting Everyone!

Ruth xx

Mermaid Week - Day 5 - Mama Elephant

I was lucky enough to win this stamp set from one of my favourite shops Dies to Die For in their big Christmas giveaway. I had it on my craft desk and when my eldest came in one rather miserable Sunday afternoon she spotted it and we all trooped downstairs to colour them in.

I stamped them on to Strathmore Coloured Pencil paper - for me! - and some white cardstock for the girls. I found some old Caran D'Ache junior pencils that my sister gave me and we sharpened them up and used those.

With my colouring on the thin paper, I decided I would make a shaped card with it and cut it out with my old faithful Spellbinders Standard Circle Large dies. I then got a card blank and cut it out with the same circle die, being careful to have it over the edge of the fold so it wouldn't cut there.I just attached the coloured panel on the front with some ATG tape.

Thank you so much for your encouraging comments on my posts this week and over on IG. If you do fancy playing along, don't forget to tag me and use #ruthsmermaidweek.

Happy Mermaid Crafting!!!

Ninja-tastic!

A friend of mine recently did something pretty big. She took her first ever piano exam. Nervous as she was, she went along to the exam venue and sat with all the 8 year olds and their mothers and took the exam. Well, dear readers, she passed. In fact she didn't just pass, she got Distinction! Now that requires a very special card, don't you think?

I wanted to show her just how amazing she was, and these little ninjas from Mama Elephant fit the bill perfectly. When I saw them and their poses I was instantly put in mind of Indiana Jones doing feats of derring-do.

I started by marking out my card into three equal sized sections and using the MISTI, I positioned the ninjas where I wanted them and stamped them down. As it was a new stamp set, I had to stamp several times to get good coverage.

I rubbed out the section lines and pencilled in my different tasks before tracing over with a Copic multi-liner. I then rubbed out the lines and added in some Copic details on the ninjas, the rolling ball, the tight rope posts and the hot coals.

I then simply trimmed the panel and fitted it to a dark red A2 (US) card base and stamped on the inside:

She really is pretty amazing and is already starting to practice for her Grade 2, so I'd better get my thinking cap on for that card...

Here is a list of the supplies I used on this card. I have signed up to affiliate links on some products. If you purchase any item after clicking on an affiliate link, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. This helps to support the cost of running my blog and your support is much appreciated :)

Mama Elephant - Tiny Ninjas

Memento Tuxedo Black

My Sweet Petunia - MISTI Mini

Copic Markers

Copic MultiLiner Drawing Pen

Simon Says Stamp Card Stock 100# SET OF 26 COLORS 26Cdsk

InLinkz.com

Thank you so much for stopping by as always and hope to see you again soon :)

Video - Fox and the Moon - Mama Elephant and Altenew - VIDEO

Hello Crafty Chums! Back so soon, you say? Well, I decided to edit the video I did the other day of a similar card to my previous post as a practice - these new things take time when you're heading for 40 and I like to feel comfortable! I showed it to my sister and she told me that I was to go and post it on my blog. I'm a good older sister and do what I'm told, so here I am with my very first card video!

The card is slightly different to my other card, but all the ingredients are the same. I do hope you like it.

Short and sweet today, 'cos it's Mothering Sunday and I have a box of choccies to munch whilst watching rubbish telly for a bit before bed.

Hope you've all had a great weekend! See you again soon.

Muse Challenge #155 + A Thank You!

Hello Again! How are things with you all, Crafty Chums? We've had loads of snow, but it hasn't lasted long, which for me is great, but for my girls, is really boring. Oh to be that age again and appreciate instead of worry how to get to school without falling over!

But, enough of me waffling about the weather, here is a card inspired by the latest Muse Challenge #155. As soon as I saw the balloons I remembered an idea I had to use my Mama Elephant Up and Away set inspired by E.T. - you'll see what I mean below:

Yep, it's that bit with the bicycles and the moon! This involved a lot of different techniques, from masking to heat embossing and distress ink blending to Copic colouring.

I started by making masks of the fox and the balloons. I then stamped them onto my very last piece of Neenah 110lb card stock (I'm using Crafter's Companion at the moment which is fine for blending, but it isn't very thick so an order to SSS is needed!) with Memento Tuxedo Black and masked them off. Using my WRMK Letterpress as a positioning tool, I stamped the moon on top in London Fog, Ocean Waves and then heat embossed with WOW! Bright White.

I then started some distress ink blending (seedless preserves, chipped sapphire, salty ocean) and was geting really into it when I realised I hadn't masked off the moon....... but you know what, I think it turned out rather nice nonetheless! I did then make a mask for the moon and pounced a little Ranger Glacier White pigment ink onto the card around the images as a bit of a halo.

Once blended, I cut out the panel with a Memory Box stitched rectangle die and then did some Copic colouring - I could do with more orangey browns, but that will have to wait until after Easter. A sentiment heat embossed onto the bottom right hand corner and some white and Wink of Stella dots finished the scene. I simply added it to a white card base.

[Supplies: Mama Elephant Up and Away; Altenew To The Moon; Neenah Classic Crest Solar White 110lb; Distress Inks Chipped Sapphire and Seedless Preserves; Glacier White Pigment Ink; Versamark Ink; Altenew Ocean Waves; Memento Tuxedo Black and London Fog; Copic Markers - E18, E55, E57, R35, R37, R59; Memory Box Stitched Rectangles; WRMK Letterpress Kit; WRMK Evolution Die Cutting Machine;]

I also wanted to say a huge thank you to everyone who commented so positively on my craft room tour video. I now have 10 You Tube subscribers - you crazy (but lovely!) people! I have been working on trying out videos, but as a chaotic crafter with limited time, it's taking me a while to get used to. I also need to work on my set up. I did actually make a video of a similar card to this and was quite pleased with the results until about 5 minutes into the replay I realised you couldn't see half of what I was doing!!! It's a definite learning curve. But I want to get it right for you, so I hope you'll all bear with me.

Oh and I hope you like the new design? I sold a Tattered Lace die and bought a Blogger template. Win win!

Thank you as always for reading and for your wonderful comments. Have a very wonderful weekend whatever you are up to.

More Thanks with Mama Elephant

Ha, bet you didn't expect to see me again so soon, but I told you I couldn't put down the Mama Elephant Heartfelt Wishes stamp, didn't I, so I have these to show you too!

This is the stamp set that just keeps on giving! You could do this design in so many different ways and I have plans to make a couple a week until after Christmas so I can use them to say thanks for Christmas gifts :)

The first two were so much fun to make, I made some more the next day!

Really simple with stamping the same sentiment in grey ink - I used Memento London Fog, but I don't think it gives terribly great coverage - across a piece of card cut to fit the card blank. I stamped the 'Thanks' onto the card too in varying Ranger Dye ink colours, but then decided I wanted it to pop out more, so stamped it again onto another piece of card, cut it out and adhered it with foam tape. I attached this to the card front, then added enamel dots and sequins (with glossy accents for a change!). Which do you prefer? I think I might have to get some enamel dots, I really liked them on the blue and red cards. They were part of my giveaway win from Liz over at Buttons For Brains.

Supplies: Neenah Classic Crest 110lb card stock; Paper trimmer; Memento London Fog; Ranger Dye Inks; Foam Tape; Little Things from Lucy's Cards Lemon Sherbet and Lime Cordial; Enamel dots; Ranger Glossy Accents

As always, thank you so much for reading my blog and leaving your lovely comments. Hope the rest of the weekend continues to be great for you.

A whole lot of Thanks with Mama Elephant

Hello again, Crafty Friends. So in my last post I mentioned I had been quite busy, but didn't want to post the cards until they'd got to their intended recipients. I'm fairly confident that Royal Mail will have now delivered them, so I'm free to write them up :)

The stamp set I've used, or over used since I can't seem to put it down, is the new Heartfelt Wishes set from Mama Elephant. I absolutely love it and it seemed appropriate to use it to make some cards to send some of the lovely people I've met over the past few months online - and also in person! 

I've been amazed at how kind and friendly crafty people are. I've received so many positive words, informative emails, and extremely kind gifts. I couldn't let all that kindness go unnoticed, so these cards went off with some little gifts. I enjoyed doing it so much, I plan to send some more over the next few weeks!!

First up were these cards using Spectrum Aquas and heat embossing, with some of those lovely sequins from Lucy's Cards. 

I had a lot of fun deciding on the colours to use and then sploshing them around on the water colour cardstock. I always use dry card stock, scribble the colours on an acrylic block, then pick up the colour with my waterbrush and drop it onto the card. I used Sunflower, Yellow, Gold and Purple, Wildflower and Heather. Once dry, I then splatter the piece with water and dab off with a kitchen towel to add a little bit of interest.

 

I stamped the sentiment in Versamark and heat embossed with some embossing powder and heat set it. I added a second sentiment underneath in archival ink, then attached some coloured card to the front of my card blank finally placing the water colour panel on top with some fun foam.

I then added the sequins with some Multi Medium Matte.

 

I'm really pleased with the results and hope the recipients liked them too. I can tell this is going to be a well used stamp set!

Supplies: Tim Holtz Distress Watercolor Cardstock; WH Smith Watercolour paper; Spectrum Aquas Floral and Primary; Acrylic Blocks; EK Success Powder Tool; Derwent Small tip Waterbrush; Small paint brush; Heat Tool; Versa Mark Ink; WOW! Gold Embossing glitter; Papermania Silver Tinsel embossing powder; Ranger archival Jet Black Ink; Little Things from Lucy's Cards Gilded Rose and French Lavendar; Multi Medium Matte; Fun Foam; Super Sticky Red Tape; Coloured Papers 

Thank you so much for reading, and for all your positive comments on my blog. It really makes me smile - so another Thanks to you all! Have a great weekend.

It's a boy!

Hello, crafty friends. I don't know about you, but I can't believe it's July already. June was quite a crafty month with the Daily Marker 30 Day 2. I'm sad it's over, because I had so much fun learning new things, but all good things must come to an end, and it's time I started turning all that colouring into cards! 

Over on Instagram (it's lovely, really lovely, so much inspiration and friendly crafters!) I shared some colouring linked to a baby a friend was expecting. I hedged my bets and did two lots, one in pink and one in blue. I'm not usually quite so generic, but sometimes inspiration is lacking! Anyway, it turned out to be a boy, by the name of George, so blue it is!

I stuck with simple and decided to make a shaker too - any chance to get those Lucy Abram's shaker mixes out!

Supplies: White Card Blank (14.75x14.75cm); ME Up And Away Stamps and Dies; Papermania 6x6 Papers Capsule Collection; Memento Tuxedo Black; VersaMagic Dew Drop Night Sky; Derwent Artists Pencils; Caran D'Ache Metallic Pencils; LF Large Stitched Square Lawn Cuts; Acetate; Double-sided Tape; Red tape; Adhesive backed Fun Foam; CB Sweet Little Sentiments; Lucy's Little Things Shaker Sequin selection Glacier; Joe and Flo Baker's Twine; Sellotape Double Sided Sticky Foam Pads; Ranger Multi Medium Matte; Bazzill Cardshoppe - blue; VersaMagic Dew Drop Aspen Mist

I started by die cutting a square of blue Bazzill Cardshoppe using two of the LF large stitched square lawn cuts to make a frame. I then attached a piece of acetate to the back of the square aperture to start the shaker section. I then hand cut a piece of adhesive backed fun foam to match the size of the frame, and stuck it down on the back of my blue card. Face down on my craft mat I then filled the shaker section with lots of Lucy's lovely sequins and things. 

I then attached some very sticky red tape to the back of the fun foam, positioned it face down on my craft mat and attached the card base on the top. I'm getting better at this the more I do and this one is not too squint!

I then attached some baker's twine to the back of the balloons and then to the monkey's hand. Then, with double sided sticky foam pads, attached them to the card front as shown.

The sentiment is stamped in Aspen Mist and attached with sticky foam pads. The additional sequins started by covering a slight smudge, but I added a few more so it wasn't quite so obvious! They are stuck on with the Multe Medium Matte.

Hope you survived the mid week heat wave - that'll be summer over now in the UK, we've already had torrential rain today!

Do enjoy your weekend, whatever the weather. Thanks, as always, for reading :)

My first shaker card!

Hello everyone, hope you're looking forward to the Bank Holiday weekend - those in the UK, at least! 

Tonight I'm bringing you my first ever shaker card. I have tried these before, without much success. Now I'm not saying it's perfect, but it does work and half the sequins aren't on the floor. I think I need a bit more practice, so this is hopefully the first of a few. No doubt a splurge on some nice sequins will be required - #impoverishedhappycrafter :)

  
I've made it using some of the new things I received the other day in my haul. It's a basic 6x6 card blank with a piece of Lawn Fawn Let's Polka as backing. The shaker part is a nice grey from my Papermania capsule collection, die cut with the new Lawn Fawn stitched squares - they cut beautifully - filled with some sequins from Hobbycraft. I need some Pretty Pink Posh! 

I wanted to see the backing paper through the shaker box, so it is backed with acetate to contain the sequins before attaching to the card - did I mention before that usually they end up on the floor? Some time looking at how to make shaker card videos might be well spent over the next couple of days.

The set is Mama Elephant Up and Away, stamped in various Memento dye inks, coloured with Derwent pencils. The balloons are coloured using my metallic Caran D'Ache, with a bit of Wink of Stella and glossy accents. The fox is hanging on with some red baker's twine.

I'm just so happy it worked, I had a lot of fun making it.

Thanks for reading, enjoy your weekend!

A bit of a haul...

Hello! I got a  bit carried away last week and made quite a few purchases. I love Michelle Short's haul videos over on her blog, The Card Grotto, and whilst I can't compete with her on quality of blog and video, I can express the same enthusiasm for buying new things.

I have coined a new phrase: The Impoverished Happy Crafter. I am she. I suspect at times you are too. There is so much out there, so many lovely things I could use, and so little money in my bank account. I would rival Carrie from Sex and the City's shoe purchases with crafty ones if I could afford it!

So, here we are, my Make the Day Special Lawn Fawn and Mama Elephant purchases. I didn't get the Up and Away dies when I bought the stamps, but should have really. I've wanted the Let's Polka paper range for ages - Let's Polka and Let's Polka Mon Amie, plus some stitched square frames, and last but not least, the Best Pun Ever stamps and dies just had to be mine. I've been on the look out for a decent teapot and cup and this was it. Lovely!

One of my earlier posts was about the Ranger Dye Inks. I had a couple of questions from some bloggers about them. I'll pass my answers on: They didn't bleed when brushed with water and you will need a decent stamp cleaner, because the stamps I used have stained. I know Stazon cleaner is what a lot of people use, but I have heard it can damage clear stamps over time, so I haven't bought any yet. I need to do some research on stamp cleaners, otherwise everything I own will be stained!

Still, I bought the rest of them for the rather reasonable price of £3.75 each from Inkylicious. They were also selling all twelve for £42...

I also bought some Wink of Stella pens - a brush and a fine. I've seen them used on projects a lot, so I thought it was time to try them out.

I'm off to do a bit of crafting now the kiddies are in bed. Can't wait. I've been like an overgrown child at Christmas today - desperate to open those last two packages!

Thanks for reading. Happy Tuesday :)